Feature Stories

Dr. Kevin Lehnert

Dr. Kevin D. Lehnert is Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. He has been a member of the faculty since 2010.

Dr. Lehnert double majored in Psychology and Philosophy at Saint Louis University and earned his degree in 1998. He received a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Boston College in 2000. In 2005, he earned his M.B.A. from Loyola University Chicago, and went on to earn his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University in 2010, with an emphasis in International Business and Marketing.

Kevin is described by his students as being engaging and enthusiastic with admirable charisma. He goes above and beyond expectations to help students learn, and develops meaningful, professional relationships with his students which reach beyond the classroom. His excellent personal skills and creative approach to teaching keep students focused and engaged.

As an educator, Dr. Lehnert sees teaching as being journey. His goal is to communicate knowledge and experiences that help change the way students view the world. He believes that by struggling alongside his students with challenging, contemporary ethical dilemmas, together they can become better managers and leaders. Dr. Lehnert’s teaching philosophy is not only effective, but it is what makes him unique.

Kevin’s interests in marketing and ethics stem from his background in philosophy, where he realized that enacting change in the world meant changing our underlying assumptions about business. His research interests focus on creativity in advertising, cross-cultural and racial differences in consumer behavior, and marketing ethics. He has published in several academic journals including his most recent article, “Advertising Creativity: The Role of Divergence versus Meaningfulness” in the Journal of Advertising, as well as work in the International Journal of Adverting, the Thunderbird International Business Review, and the Journal of Economic Development.

Dr. Lehnert has received several teaching awards, including the GVSU Inter-Fraternity Council Professor of the Month and the Graduate Teaching Award from Saint Louis University. He helped design a new course in brand management as part of the department curriculum for Grand Valley and is a Co-Advisor for the Grand Valley chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Dr. Lehnert is a member of the Academy of Marketing Science and the American Marketing Association. He currently reviews for several periodicals, including the Journal of Business Ethics and the International Business Review. Kevin has also had several artistic projects, including a translation of Sesame Street’s “Rubber Duckie” into Egyptian hieroglyphics.